THE LASALLIAN BROTHERS DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF HONG KONG
In early 1941, the Japanese over-ran the Chinese Province of Kwantung and sixdivisions of troops were poised on the Hong Kong border. All wives of British expatriates were, early in the year, evacuated to Australia. However the Colony was very optimistic and the 7th December, Sunday, a great Dinner-dance for the British Bomber Fund was held at the Peninsula Hotel, well attended by the Army and Services. A wireless message between Japanese ships monitored by Intelligence was ominous and at half-way through the dance all seamen were told to return to their ships and military back to their posts. In the morning of the 8th December, pupils at 8 a.m. waiting for beginning of school, heard the sound of the air-raid siren and saw from Kennedy Road, planes divebombing Kaitak aerodrome. They thought it a practice but it was the real thing. All British planes in the Colony were destroyed and Britain was at war.
It had been arranged that La Salle College would serve as a military hospital in case of war. Nurses and doctors arrived during the day and the Brothers stayed on to help. After three days’ resistance in the Kowloon Hills, the army made their evacuation to the island under cover of darkness with no casualties.
On the arrival of the Japanese troops, the Brothers were ousted from La Salle College. Fr. Granelli (R.I.P.), parish priest, kindly arranged hospitality for the Brothers in a house next to the Parish Church. Getting food was a big problem. The Japanese arranged the evacuation of neutral foreigners and the French and Central European Brothers, boarded the “Canton” under the direction of Brother Aimar and the group disembarked at Haiphong and remained in Indo China for the duration of the war.
La Salle College built on a hill, the dominating landmark of Kowloon pre-war was spared structural damage. When the Japanese military took it over as a hospital the British Doctor and nurses advised them to hoist the Red Cross flag but the Japanese insisted on hoisting “The Rising Sun” emblem. A few minutes after, a British shell from the Island plonked down on the tennis courts with deafening explosion and down came the Japanese flag and up went the Red Cross so the building was respected by the British on the Island and by the Americans (who bombed Hong Kong several times during the Occupation.) The only damage to St. Joseph’s building was during the bombing spree (mentioned further on) when some windows were smashed and the side-door facing the military married quarters was blown in.
Eventually the Japanese landed at Causeway Bay and Stanley on the Island. Fighting was severe but fortunately for the Brothers of Kennedy Road, the Japanese objectives were the Wongnaichung Gap and military positions on the hills. Brothers Peter Damien (U.S.A) volunteered to drive a Red Cross Ambulance at the outbreak of the war. The ambulance was ambushed by a Japanese patrol in Happy Valley and Brother Damien and crew were all bayoneted to death. His body was identified by the black robe he was wearing at the time. The Brothers of both St. Joseph and La Salle lost also a good many teachers who belonged to the Hong Kong Volunteers, a group formed by teachers and businessmen of the Colony. Casualties among the Volunteers were very high as they manned the machine gun pill-boxes on the island front and he Japanese took no prisoners.
Brothers in St. Joseph’s were in little danger except from an errant shell aimed at the big gun on the Peak. There was one anxious half-hour when the Japanese planes flying low blew up the anti-aircraft emplacement, the Masonic building (Headquarters of the A.R.P.), and the Married Quarters of the military, all within a 100 yd radius of the College.
On Christmas Day the Colony surrendered. A Japanese officer turned up at lunch on Boxing Day, Very courteous, and informed the Community that the building was taken over by the Army and we could lodge in the Union Church about 50 yds away. The army came in at 1 p.m. The College was a depot for hospital stores and there were many cases of brandy and we were not too happy to be so near Japanese troops who had already smashed open some cases of brandy. Brother John and some Irish Brothers were given lodging by Fr. Bourke, S.J. at Wah Yan College. Our Chaplain, Superior of the Dominicans, gave housing and food to the other Brothers at Seymour Road.
Two Brothers from the U.S.A., Brothers Anthony and Cornelius, were interned for a short while in Stanley Jail. The Japanese had arranged an exchange of their nationals interned elsewhere with the Americans interned in Hong Kong. The Brothers arrived safely in Laurenco Marques, Portuguese Africa, for the interchange.
Owing to shortage of food, the Japanese authorities encourage civilians to leave the Colony. Many left for Forty Bayard (Kong Chow Wan), a French enclave on the Chinese southern coast from which Chungking could then be reached, as the Japanese had not taken that part of China. Brothers Felix and Michael were allowed by the Japanese to board the Japanese vessel going to this port but on arrival found that the cost of transportation to Chungking was exorbitant. Passenger boats going to Indo-China were packed with bookings months ahead. However, a veteran Norwegian Captain put the Brothers in the cabin of the ship’s doctor (who had quit his post) and the Brothers traveled free to Haiphong, paying the Chief steward only for meals. The French Vichy Government was then nominally in charge but a few months later the Japanese Government took over; French and foreigners were interned or under house-arrest. Brother Cassian and Brother Wilfred also joined the Brothers in Indo-China and three Irish Brothers, Brother Director John, Brother Paul O’Connell, Brother Martin remained on the island of Hong Kong.
Through the influence of the former Headmaster of the Japanese School facing St. Joseph’s (pre-war, Brother John and this Headmaster had been on very friendly terms) the Army gave permission to the Brothers to lodge in the top floor of St. Joseph’s and the Brothers, being in possession, had no difficulty in getting the building back after the war.
There were three deaths during the war years: Brother Peter Killed in action, Brother Basilian (73) died in Indo-China early on, and Brother Aimar when the Viet-Minh revolution broke out.